Multiplayer using openvpn 0 disconnects

[Mandarine]

Hi. Tried too and experienced stability problems. Could you answer one or two questions that could help me understand please Butcher?

-I would like to know what's the impact of the "port" chosen in the server creation in openvpn. I've tried your technic with a few others players. And i was the only one that didn't have the port open when check with the proper tools. But for what i know a port is not open as long it is not used (is it false?). Anyway i could, join the vpn server, see the game, join it, play some rounds, but finally the usual "out of sync" problem appears. Could it be a part of the solution?

-Also we've finally realized that we didn't have the latest version. We have the same (1.0.1.705) but not the latest patch (1.0.2.21). Is it mandatory to have the last one?

 

[Butcher]

Hi. Tried too and experienced stability problems. Could you answer one or two questions that could help me understand please Butcher?

-I would like to know what's the impact of the "port" chosen in the server creation in openvpn. I've tried your technic with a few others players. And i was the only one that didn't have the port open when check with the proper tools. But for what i know a port is not open as long it is not used (is it false?). Anyway i could, join the vpn server, see the game, join it, play some rounds, but finally the usual "out of sync" problem appears. Could it be a part of the solution?

The only peer that has to open the port is the one running the server. All other peers will simply install and run openvpn with the correct certificates (provided by the server) and configurations.

If you check openvpn's status you can see if everyone connected correctly. Then you have to create a LAN game and join. Be sure you change the metric too.

Does the same peer disconnect every time?

-Also we've finally realized that we didn't have the latest version. We have the same (1.0.1.705) but not the latest patch (1.0.2.21). Is it mandatory to have the last one?

No, you should be ok.


Edit: I personally still use this method to play without any problems whatsoever. I see that some of you have issues, but I am not sure what the problem might be. Maybe we need a better guide or more info in order to get to the bottom of this.

 

[Mandarine]

Thank you for your quick and clear answer. Well, i thought it would have been this. I don't understand what is our problem then, since we have even manage to play the begining game. Yes we have change the metric, we can see the game. Lowering the number could improve the stability? We have put it on 5 as shown in your first post. Anyway have a good day.

Edit: It has work for others, it's still viable for many i suppose. Keep up the good work.

 

[Butcher]

Thank you for your quick and clear answer. Well, i thought it would have been this. I don't understand what is our problem then, since we have even manage to play the begining game. Yes we have change the metric, we can see the game. Lowering the number could improve the stability? We have put it on 5 as shown in your first post. Anyway have a good day.

No. Since you can see the game in lan lobby metric is not the problem.
If a single peer is always the source of these disconnects, maybe the problem is there..

 

[Butcher]

Edit: It has work for others, it's still viable for many i suppose. Keep up the good work.

for me that's not enough. We should be able to make this a viable solution for everyone. Problem is I do not have that much spare time to experiment.

If anyone is able to help or point out something we are missing, please do it.

 

[kuddin]

Any ideas why my friends can't find me when I create a LAN game but even so internet multiplayer stability is at 100%, meaning we don't get any disconnects on multiplayer anymore.

 

[Butcher]

Any ideas why my friends can't find me when I create a LAN game but even so internet multiplayer stability is at 100%, meaning we don't get any disconnects on multiplayer anymore.

check the metrics for every peer. Sounds like a problem with broadcast. Either that or you have an issue with your firewall. Have you tried creating a LAN game from another peer?

But it seems that openvpn is being used when trying to play through internet..so..er..what are you doing here?? happy Civing

 

[schwery88]

When I used evolve as our vpn, we get random disconnects. When we use tunngle to play, it only allows us 2 players but we get 0 disconnects.

Any chance u could upload ur server config files and such as we are not clever enough to follow the instructions?

 

[Butcher]

When I used evolve as our vpn, we get random disconnects. When we use tunngle to play, it only allows us 2 players but we get 0 disconnects.

I have used evolve with Civ 5, but i also had disconnects. The reason openvpn works is the line "dev tap". It creates a layer 2 vpn instead of layer 3. Being a lower layer vpn seems to solve the problem. ..At least for some of us...

Any chance u could upload ur server config files and such as we are not clever enough to follow the instructions?

First it has nothing to do with being clever. My configs are exactly what I present in the first post with the difference of having the [text] replaced with my name created and port selected..etc.. Have you created the certificates first? What is your problem with the configuration files? The only thing to worry about those files are the paths since in some cases the path may be different (for example “Program Files (x86)” instead of “Program Files” ..etc). But in any case when you use openvpn and there is a problem with the connection you can check the status log and get clues about the nature of the problem inside configs.

If you still have difficulties just give as the names used when creating the certificates and the place where you transfered those files and we will help you create the appropreate configuration files.

 

[schwery88]

well as you said, I tried following the instructions on that openVPN website. Took about ~30 minutes to do everything. I did notice the file paths were (x86). I created a static ip, opened the ports, moved the files, etc. The openvpn server is online. I'm assuming we messed up somewhere in the personal certificates. And the server@domain.com prompt is my static ip, not the clients?

We have no problem with the configuration files, those are a matter of copy and paste and fill in the appropriate names from the certificates from your instructions .

p.s. thank you for helping me so far, getting alot further

 

[Ramenbowl]

Hi guys, just curious:

I've only recently begun playing multiplayer properly, but so far haven't had too many issues with Steam.
I remember about a year ago or so, by about turn 100 the game became incredibly laggy and was effectively unplayable.

However, I'm getting pretty far into a few games with various people - one game is comprised of 6 people, the others two to three.

Is the game currently playable with Steam? I haven't finished a game, but it appears viable.

I am reading through the forums now, but I'd like to know why Steam in particular fails in comparison to the aforementioned VPN software?

I did download Evolve VPN in anticipation that Steam wouldn't work so well, but thankfully it has been fine.

 

[schwery88]

hey butcher, quick question. Is it possible to just use windows 7 to setup the vpn?

 

[Eloque]

So far the only VPN that has worked is OpenVPN layer 2.

Win 7, Hamachi and Evolve all were a failure, as was using a Tun device OpenVPN. Right now I can comfortably play using the LAN feature and a central OpenVPN server. No more disconnects.

 

[thebeav111]

if the person hosting the server has a bad upload rate that could cause issues.

The reason a layer 2 vpn works is that it uses tcp so every packet is resent if it doesn't reach the destination, so you get no packet loss. If someone has bad packetloss it will make things a lot laggier.

The added bonus to playing multi over lan is that you get to use more maps I believe than internet. Earth maps even? Correct me if I am wrong, I haven't tried this, I doubt my friends have the patience to do this.

 

[Dlistex]

I can't even get to the point of setting up OpenVPN right.
The TAP adapter is stuck in "Unidentified network" mode and the fixes I tried ended up making it "Identified" but then it wouldn't appear anymore in the Network and Sharing center so I couldn't set it to a Home network.

I tried :
http://superuser.com/questions/1200...fied-network-to-private-network-on-an-openvpn (Second answer)
Didn't work.
http://support.vpnsecure.me/entries/21840491-openvpn-unidentified-network-fix
Didn't work.
http://www.101tech.net/2010/09/17/openvpn-windows-7-dont-play-nice-when-no-default-gw-is-specified/
Worked, but then the connection disappeared.

 

[GoldLeader]

My problem was as follows: Playing multiplayer would result in one or more players disconnecting and being replaced by the AI even though the internet connection was working perfectly. I would get the ping time 5, 10, 15, 20 disconnect. Tried changing every setting I could think of and nothing worked. Well this fix worked like a charm. I just finished playing for about 6 hours and did not have a single disconnect. Also this was after loading the save file we gave up on previously because we couldn't get the game to progress without disconnections. Thanks so much Butcher for sharing this awesome fix for us all. I would say this proves the problem is related to packet loss which the openvpn connection prevents.

 

[Raptor42]

So im trying to set this up for me and my friends...

When I try to launch the server it says connecting to serveer has failed. When I look in the gui it has this:

Cannot open C:\Program Files (86)\OpenVPN\config\dh1024.pem for DH parameters: error:02001003:system library:fopen:No such process: error:2006D080:BIO routines:BIO_new_file:no such file

There is the dh1024 file, created as per the configuration instructions, at the right address. Any ideas what is happening?

On a seperate note, i will be running the vpn server, hosting the game, and connecting to the vpn on the same computer. Will this be a problem?

Edit: problem solved. sort of.

 

[Raptor42]

6. Change the metric for the connection created by openvpn to something small..like “5” (otherwise you will not be able to see the game created due to the broadcast not going where it should)

Me and my friends have successfully created a VPN (albeit a slow one), thanks to the help here. The only thing we can't work out now is this part. Our google-fu has failed us. How do we go about doing this?

 

[hudders]

I too was confused about the metric thing. For anyone coming to this thread in years to come who is still confused, this is the article you need to refer to: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894564

Hope that helps. Certainly did for me.

 

[Butcher]

I am happy this method works for you.

I have to apologise for not replying for this long, I was enlisted in the army so i really have no time.